BBQ-Dino-Short-Ribs (Sous-Vide)

Over the years, I've made my fair share of Ribs and decided I would make them again but with a modified Temp and Time. Sourcing Short Ribs in the NW is not easy, so I hope this new T and T will turn out well. I'll provide you with a few links if you want to read about past cooks. 

I made Flanken Beef Ribs, and I used 144f at 48-Hrs, and they turned out spectacular. They turned out very well because of the seasoning I used, and the overall mass was small. I smoke them until an internal temp of 160f. 

Sous-Vide Short-Ribs Asian Style was cooked at 158f for 18-hrs. The goal for these was to have a texture that resembled a nice steak and overall feeling you were eating a Ribeye. The smaller mass made the T and T perfect. I think smoking them until an I.T of 170f really helped with some more fat rendering. 

These were processed over 9 years ago, and I think they may have been the second or third batch I made.  Anyhow They were cooked at 131f at 48-hrs. Not terrible, but no fat rendering, and obviously, I've learned a lot over the years. SV was still relatively new back in the day, and everyone thought lower temps and longer cooks were the way to go. 

These were processed at 148f for 48-Hrs (7 years ago) and turned out pretty good. When they were smoked, I never monitored the I.T, and based on previous cooks, they most likely turned out well because the I.T went about 20f above original SV temp. 

And a plethora of many other cooks using both Short and Back ribs too. I've noticed over the years that the quality of the protein, how it's employed, and finishing method will determine if they come out good, bad, or spectacular. 

I think the metaphorical idiom "the elephant in the room" is very appropriate when discussing how one develops Time and Temperatures for a recipe or protein? Most try maybe one or two T & T's or take advice from websites or food groups. When developing T and T, it's invariably about transforming a protein and having specific goals in mind. I may process a protein a dozen times until I achieve that, particularly T and T. 

I will keep this post short because it's easy and does not require much instruction or explanation. 

Choose your rub and apply liberally on both sides of the ribs and Vac-Seal. Dry-Brine for a couple of days. 

I usually only go 2 days or so, but these were very, very large, so I thought 4-days would be needed. 

I chose 159f and 34-hrs because of previous cooks. I recently processed some Beef-Back Ribs that came out spectacular at 159f at 24-hrs, and the Temp rendered the perfect amount of fat. Since the Dino Ribs were so big, they needed a lot more time.  

I like using large containers because it allows for better water circulation. Of course, you need to match the container to your Immersion Circulator. In this case, I am using a HydroPro-Plus and a 64l container filled with 40-Liters of water. 

After dropping protein, I wrapped the container in about 6-Blankets & secured it with bungee cords. Insulating the container helps stabilize water temps. 

After they were processed, I let them rest for about 30-Minutes. They were placed in a massive container with water, ice, and an aquarium pump to circulate water. The pump improves cooling up to 30%. 

I used my Masterbuilt 1050 with lump charcoal with a bit of hickory to finish. I tossed the bags in hot water for about 5 minutes to loosen up fat and threw them on the smoker at 225f. After developing some bark, I added a smidgen of BBQ Sauce and increased the temperature to 275f to finish. I pulled them when the internal temp was between 165f and 175f. They were not fall off the bone, and that was one of my goals. I wanted some chew with adequate fat rendering, and I achieved that too.